The Girl in the Back

Nineteen seventy-seven. New York City. Dark. Dangerous. Thrilling. Punk Rock. Blondie. David Bowie. Drinking. Drugs. Happening at the speed of light.

Seventeen-year-old Laura, quaking within her skin while the bursting punk rock revolution explodes around her, starts a band with her teenage friends called the Student Teachers. She’s the drummer. They play legendary clubs CBGB, Max’s Kansas City, and Hurrah. They rehearse madly, write songs, and tour the East Coast. All between final exams at school.

In comes Jimmy Destri from Blondie. He thinks the Student Teachers are terrific! And then he falls in love with Laura. He pulls her into the glamorous life of Blondie and introduces her to David Bowie. Bowie takes an interest in Laura’s band, attends their rehearsals, and sets them up to open for Iggy Pop at the Palladium on Halloween 1979. It’s exhilarating! It’s the beginning of amazing success in rock 'n' roll!

Until it all comes to a stunning stop. After playing a show at Town Hall in 1980, Laura is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Does it all fall apart? Later, at a dinner with Bowie, he whispers something to Laura. And it helps her save her life.

In prose that flows like music, Laura Davis-Chanin presents a rich work of narrative nonfiction that is not only deeply personal but also revealing of the punk rock heyday in New York City. Infused with rare photographs, The Girl in the Back is a journey through a unique, ephemeral life experience.